Custom Built CAI! (Installed 08/06/13)

[n8rfastback]

So Mike how is it holding up and what are your thoughts on it after driving with it for a bit? Initial impressions were good, just wondering, looking for continued feedback. 

Has anybody altered one of the airaid cai systems yet to get colder air to it?  I bet it could be modded to draw air from the fender and to better isolate it from the engine heat. 

As far as other heat reduction ideas go, has anyone tried removing the plastic guard from under the engine? What about the engine cover?  I know it's pretty but it's very insulated.  Also what about the noise/heat barrier attached to the underside of the Hood?  All these combined may help promote better air flow in the engine bay and less heat soak overall in the intake tubing.

 

[DJE624]

I removed my engine cover.  I think it helps.  I was shocked when I saw all that insulation under it. 

 

[mjhpadi]

With a nickname like Lord Tubby Tub, I'm sure you'd look good in that black Ninja outfit back flipping your way through Mike's sub-division!

If you were smart; you'd know black makes you slimmer!

So bam; why you think you look all sexy and **** in your neoprene driving suit?

Well, Mr. Stormy Storm, never thought I looked great...I went with the colors and the "Do Not Shoot I Am A Man" on the wet suit after a Russian Whaler followed me around in the Bay Islands trying to line up a harpoon shot when they thought I was the Great White Whale!  fftopic:
Now back to topic....
Those who have taken off the undercover engine have found that it causes hood shake and doesn't do much to reduce temps.

 

[Boggus]

I have a ton of Nerf guns to stage a war or distraction long enough to turn some wrenches!

 

[bpd1151]

I'll dive further into my experiences thus far with this set up when I have more time to do so, but not today....

Most of it's good, but I am planning on altering and/or tweaking the heat shield a lil bit further than how it was received by me.

As far as removing any of the under belly pans, I wouldn't recommend it.

Most of us who have, including myself, noticed vertical flopping of the engine hood.

This flopping, for me, caused the primary hood latch to fail when my speeds exceeded 140+ on one particular occasion.

Luckily, the secondary latch remained steadfast, and I had immediately deceled anyhow.

I theorized too much air, at speeds in excess of 110+, rushed into the engine compartment, and pushed up from the underside of the hood causing this observed condition.

I have since replaced my underbelly pans/covers and the condition has significantly reduced. Still present on some occasions, but not anywhere near the degree it once was with the covers removed.

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[n8rfastback]

Interesting.  I wonder if opening up the grill air flow in front helps or hurts the situation,  obviously ford was seeing the potential for airflow issues when they put the guard in under the motor

 

[n8rfastback]

Wouldnt some vents in the hood relieve the pressure?

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

BPD has hood vents from a new Mustang.

 

[n8rfastback]

I wonder if hood vents, and removing the lower cover would produce better air flow in the engine compartment? Looks like some testing needs to be done

 

[bpd1151]

I wonder if hood vents, and removing the lower cover would produce better air flow in the engine compartment?

Looks like some testing needs to be done

Most notably, refer to post 81....  :doh:

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[EcoBrick Bob]

The underbelly pan is there for aerodynamics and, at least in the Flex, there are NASA Vents to cool turbos.  I have posted pix on this in other threads.  I have run at the strip without pan and it does not help times.  It was my opinion that my Flex actually ran slightly cooler with pan installed.

 

[n8rfastback]

I have the NASA style vents in the under belly cover too, but they are solid and are not cut out, the shape is there but no holes in it

 

[n8rfastback]

I'm also wondering if the stock opening in front of the airbox could be expanded upon or opened up a little to allow more flow from the grill area?  I looked under and beside the airraid cai and I just don't see where any extra tubing could even go to get fender air into the airraid box?  The fender area is doubled up steel like it's part of the frame and straight down goes right between the radiator and tranny and tranny cooler lines so it's gotta be hot as hell down there

 

[n8rfastback]

Was your hood lifting even with the vents put in bpd?

 

[bpd1151]

Yep.

Worse actually.

I think there are different contributing factors at play......

Notably, the overall compromising of the structural integrity of the hood by cutting holes into it.

The vents performing as intended, by expelling air through them.

Then removing the under belly pans, combined with the higher speeds and resulting higher air velocities, pushing up from the bottom of the engine compartment and towards the underside of the hood.

I would say that anyone travelling under 100MPH is good to go (to remove the pans).... but in the same token, it goes w/o saying that leaving the pans intact, will likely help with aerodynamics in a grander sense.

 

[n8rfastback]

Understood.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

I'm also wondering if the stock opening in front of the airbox could be expanded upon or opened up a little to allow more flow from the grill area?  I looked under and beside the airraid cai and I just don't see where any extra tubing could even go to get fender air into the airraid box?  The fender area is doubled up steel like it's part of the frame and straight down goes right between the radiator and tranny and tranny cooler lines so it's gotta be hot as hell down there

In my Flex, I am running a Carriage Works open grille.  To install I had to cut out all the plastic in front of the radiator, so mine is very open.  You can stick fingers thru the oval opening and poke them out thru the grille.  I'm pretty sure there is a way to feed a tube down to the pan behind the bumper cover, by going down towards the ground just behind the drivers side headlamp. That's what that hose that is shown in BPD's CAI pix is for.

 

[n8rfastback]

In my SHO it's all frame rail right up under the headlight, but there is a small opening down there, maybe 2"  or so.  Lots of wiring to move out of the way too but I suppose it could be done.  I may try to open things up to my filter better this winter if I get time

 

[mjhpadi]

Just a note, when I changed oil the last time, I looked at the bottom engine cover, and it is printed on mine that it should not be removed that it is needed for cooling.  It's printed into the cover.

 

[05yellowgt]

The covers serve a couple of functions.  One is for better MPG in the way of better aerodynamics.  With the cover off the engine bay becomes a high pressure area because the are going under the car gets trapped.  This is why you see the hood lifting more when the cover is removed.  Another reason is to provide better cooling.  You want as much air as possible to go through the grill to hit the radiator and inter cooler.  The under tray works to keep that same high pressure area forming under the hood, which reduces the amount of air that can flow through the radiator.  A final item, which is probably more trivial so to keep water and rain from getting into the engine bay more so than you would have without the under tray.

Out of all of those items, better highway MPG is probably the biggest factor, though I'm sure that the cooling system was also designed around having the under tray.  You are going to see many many more underbody aero items on future models because of the higher EPA ratings in coming years.  My 2013 F150 actually has a little chin spoiler under the bumper, which is meant to deflect some of the air from getting into the engine bay, again for better highway aerodynamics.  I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing full body under trays on regular cars and not just super cars in the near future as manufacturers are going to have to pull out a lot of tricks out of their hats to hit future economy requirements.  Engine advancement is only going to do so much.  These aero mods will also be a lot cheaper to implement before you start seeing more all aluminum and composite cars working to get the weight down while having to meet ever tougher crash test requirements and inclusion of more electronic safety gizmos, which keep adding weight back into cars.